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Invasive breast carcinoma - IARC

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A<br />

Fig. 1.19 Mammography of invasive lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong>. A Architectural distortion in the axillary tail, corresponding<br />

to a palpable area of thickening. B Magnification view of the architectural axillary distortion.<br />

B<br />

Fig. 1.20 In situ and invasive lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong>.<br />

The larger cells on the left and lower part of the<br />

field are invasive tumour cells.<br />

and appear individually dispersed<br />

through a fibrous connective tissue or<br />

arranged in single file linear cords that<br />

invade the stroma. These infiltrating<br />

cords frequently present a concentric<br />

pattern around normal ducts. There is<br />

often little host reaction or disturbance of<br />

the background architecture. The neoplastic<br />

cells have round or notched ovoid<br />

nuclei and a thin rim of cytoplasm with an<br />

occasional intracytoplasmic lumen<br />

{2312} often harbouring a central mucoid<br />

inclusion. Mitoses are typically infrequent.<br />

This classical form of ILC is associated<br />

with features of lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong><br />

in situ in at least 90% of the cases<br />

{705,2001}.<br />

In addition to this common form, variant<br />

patterns of ILC have been described.<br />

The solid pattern is characterized by<br />

sheets of uniform small cells of lobular<br />

morphology {835}. The cells lack cell to<br />

cell cohesion and are often more pleomorphic<br />

and have a higher frequency of<br />

mitoses than the classical type. In the<br />

alveolar variant , tumour cells are mainly<br />

arranged in globular aggregates of at<br />

least 20 cells {2668}, the cell morphology<br />

and growth pattern being otherwise typical<br />

of lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong>. Pleomorphic<br />

lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong> retains the distinctive<br />

growth pattern of lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong> but<br />

exhibits a greater degree of cellular atypia<br />

and pleomorphism than the classical<br />

f o rm {808,1858,3082}. Intra-lobular<br />

lesions composed of signet ring cells or<br />

pleomorphic cells are features frequently<br />

associated with it. Pleomorphic lobular<br />

<strong>carcinoma</strong> may show apocrine {808} or<br />

histiocytoid {3047} diff e rentiation. A<br />

mixed group is composed of cases<br />

showing an admixture of the classical<br />

type with one or more of these patterns<br />

{705}. In about 5% of invasive <strong>breast</strong><br />

cancers, both ductal and lobular features<br />

of differentiation are present {1780} (see<br />

Mixed type <strong>carcinoma</strong>, page 21).<br />

Analysis of E-cadherin expression may<br />

help to divide these cases between ductal<br />

and lobular tumours but the<br />

immunophenotype remains ambiguous<br />

in a minority of cases {34}.<br />

The admixture of tubular growth pattern<br />

and small uniform cells arranged in a linear<br />

pattern defines tubulo-lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong><br />

(TLC) (ICD-O 8524/3) {875}. LCIS<br />

is observed in about one third of TLC.<br />

Comparison of the clinico-pathological<br />

features of TLC and pure tubular <strong>carcinoma</strong><br />

(TC) has shown that axillary metastases<br />

were more common in TLC (43%)<br />

than in TC (12%) {1062}. A high rate of<br />

estrogen receptor (ER) positivity has also<br />

been reported in TLC {3141}. Further<br />

analysis of TLC, especially regarding E-<br />

cadherin status, should help to determine<br />

whether TLC should be categorized<br />

as a variant of tubular or of lobular<br />

tumours. Without this data these tumours<br />

are best classified as a variant of lobular<br />

<strong>carcinoma</strong>.<br />

Immunoprofile<br />

About 70-95% of lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong>s are<br />

ER positive, a rate higher than the 70-<br />

80% observed in IDC {2541,3235}.<br />

Progesterone receptor (PR) positivity is<br />

60-70% in either tumour type {2541,<br />

A<br />

B<br />

Fig. 1.21 A <strong>Invasive</strong> lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong>. B Loss of E-cadherin expression is typical of lobular <strong>carcinoma</strong> cells. Note immunoreactivity of entrapped normal lobules.<br />

C Large number of signet ring cells and intracytoplasmic lumina (targetoid secretion).<br />

C<br />

24 Tumours of the <strong>breast</strong>

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